How Much Should You Exercise While Pregnant?
If you’re pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or know someone who is either of those, you may wonder how much exercise is optimal during pregnancy. Luckily, there are some new guidelines for expectant mothers. And unlike their predecessors, these new guidelines have solid science behind them.
Brock Armstrong
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How Much Should You Exercise While Pregnant?
The 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy was recently published in the British Journal of Sports and Medicine—and it has some surprising recommendations for pregnant women.
To get into the nitty-gritty of the new guidelines, I recently talked to one of the authors, Dr. Margie Davenport. Margie is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. Her graduate work focused on the use of prenatal exercise to promote cardiometabolic health in women diagnosed with, or at risk for, gestational diabetes.
Dr. Davenport developed target heart rate zones for pregnant women, which are included in the guidelines, and her postdoctoral fellowship investigated the impact of exercise on cerebrovascular function in older adults with a focus on post-menopausal women. So, as you can tell, she is no slouch when it comes to how exercise can benefit the human body.
During our chat, Margie outlined six recommendations that were formulated through an extensive systematic review, expert opinion, consultation with end-users (pregnant and postpartum women), and then balanced her research with the recommendations’ feasibility, acceptability, costs, and equity.
In a nutshell, the main recommendations are that pregnant women should:
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perform at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week
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spread that exercise over at least three (hopefully more) days a week
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include a variety of aerobic and resistance-training activities
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and finally, there’s no bad time to start physical activity during pregnancy
Following these recommendations will reduce the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia by a surprising 40%, and reduces the risk of postnatal depression by a whopping 67%.
I will give you the highlights of the guidelines and a quick and dirty workout on the next page but to hear the info right from the researcher’s mouth, make sure you listen to the podcast using the audio player at the top of the page!
6 Recommendations for Pregnant Women
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All women without contraindication should be physically active throughout pregnancy.
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Pregnant women should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week to achieve clinically meaningful health benefits and reductions in pregnancy complications.
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Physical activity should be accumulated over a minimum of three days per week; however, being active every day is encouraged.
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Pregnant women should incorporate a variety of aerobic and resistance training activities to achieve greater benefits. Adding yoga and/or gentle stretching may also be beneficial.
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Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) may be performed on a daily basis to reduce the risk of urinary incontinence. Instruction on the proper technique is recommended to obtain optimal benefits.
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Pregnant women who experience light-headedness, nausea, or feel unwell when they exercise flat on their back should modify their exercise to avoid the supine position.
During the interview, we also discussed some common myths or misconceptions around exercise and pregnancy.
The Misconceptions of Pregnancy Exercise
Some women avoid exercise due to concerns for:
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Health of herself or her baby
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The possibility of miscarriage
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The chance of causing a pre-term birth
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Dangers of having a low-weight baby
None of these concerns turned out to be founded in science during Dr. Davenport’s review and preparation of the guidelines.
Also unfounded is the idea that pregnant women should not exercise over a heart rate of 140 beats per minute. This idea, which was included in the previous set of guidelines, turns out not to be true. Moderate intensity is recommended, but Dr. Davenport was quick to point out that vigorous intensity is not fully understood so it is neither recommended nor fully discouraged at this time.
Dr. Davenport’s Quick and Dirty (Hypothetical) Exercise Plan
I put Margie on the spot and had her concoct a Quick and Dirty pregnancy workout plan for a fictional friend. This is what she came up with:
Moderate intensity aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, cycling) 5 days per week.
Whole body resistance training (body weight or with equipment) 2 days per week which would include the following:
Upper body
- 2 x 10 reps overhead press (press ups)
- 2 x 10 reps dips
- 2 x 10 reps upright row
Lower Body
- 2 x 15 reps bodyweight squats
- 2 x 10 reps (each leg) lunges
- 2 x 15 reps calf raises
Dr. Davenport included that is may be important to use some support during the workout since it is not uncommon to feel off balance while pregnant. And always listen to your body. If it doesn’t feel right, change the exercise.
Safety Precautions
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Avoid activities that have a high risk of falling or trauma to the abdomen.
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Avoid scuba diving (due to increased pressure).
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Avoid exercise at altitude (especially if you were born and live in a low altitude environment).
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Avoid exercise in high heat.
If you want to find out more about Dr. Davenport and her work, here are some links:
- Website: www.exerciseandpregnancy.ca
- Facebook: Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Facebook Page
- Twitter: @ExercisePreg
- YouTube: Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health
For more pregnancy info, exercise tips, and to join the birthing conversation, head over to Facebook.com/GetFitGuy, twitter.com/getfitguy or BrockArmstrong.com.
Also don’t forget to subscribe to the Get-Fit Guy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play or via RSSopens XML file .
About the Author
Brock Armstrong was the host of the Get-Fit Guy podcast between 2017 and 2021. He is a certified AFLCA Group Fitness Leader with a designation in Portable Equipment, NCCP and CAC Triathlon Coach, and a TnT certified run coach. He is also on the board of advisors for the Primal Health Coach Institute and a guest faculty member of the Human Potential Institute.